Star Trek “A Piece of the Action” Screen Print by Rich Kelly

The newest print in Mondo’s Star Trek Screen Print Series is based on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “A Piece of the Action” and was designed by Rich Kelly. This popular episode features the crew of the Enterprise visiting a planet that resembles Earth circa the 1920s, gangsters and all! The Blot has to say, Kirk and Spock do pull off the gangster look very convincingly! Unfortunately, this might be the weakest print Mondo has released as part of its Star Trek series...something about it just feels off.

“A Piece of the Action” by Rich Kelly is an 18”x24” hand numbered screen print with a limited edition run size of 260 pieces. There is also a Variant Edition that has a run size of 65 pieces. The Standard Edition Star Trek print will retail for $40 each, while the Variant Edition retails for $60. These actually went on sale last Friday, and the Variant is currently sold out. However, the Standard Edition is still available from the Mondo online store.

TheBlotSays.com x Blacklist Studios King!/Robot 13 Comic Book Giveaway

It’s been a very long time since The Blot held a contest, but I’ve teamed up with the fine folks of Blacklist Studios for an extra special giveaway. To coincide with TheBlotSays.com’s 4th Anniversary, we’re giving away a prize pack that includes a complete set of Blacklist Studios comic books!!! This set includes King! issues 1-2, Robot 13 issues 1-3 and a very cool Blacklist Studios 6 button pack. Let me just say, these are some awesome comic books that I know you’re definitely going to enjoy.

To win this awesome King!/Robot 13 prize pack from Blacklist Studios, all you have to do is follow The Blot on Twitter at Twitter.com/TheBlotSays and then come back to this post and leave a comment telling me your Twitter handle. If you’re already following The Blot on Twitter don’t worry, you’re already half way done entering the contest! You too can enter the giveaway just by leaving a comment in this post telling me your Twitter handle. Pretty easy isn’t it? And please, tell all your friends about this exciting contest from TheBlotSays.com and Blacklist Studios!

Because New York Comic-Con is this week I’ll be keeping the contest going for one full week. That means I’ll be taking entries from now until Friday, October 21st at Midnight. After that I’ll use a random number generator to pick a winner. Please, only one entry per person. Sorry to all our overseas readers, but this contest is only open to residents of the US and Canada.

TheBlotSays.com Turns 4 Today!!!

Wow, I have now been blogging for four straight years. Just typing that blows my mind! Where has the time gone? It’s amazing to think how much my life has changed since I first started The Blot Says… back in late 2007. Since that time I’ve held multiple jobs, gotten married and even bought a house! Somehow over that short period of time I actually became an adult. Looking back at all those old posts now makes me realize how much The Blot Says… has changed over the years. But as my opinions and interests evolve, so too does the blog. I guess that’s just the natural progression of things.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all my new found friends, readers and supporters who I’ve met over the years through blogging for sharing in this incredible experience. I’ve met so many amazingly talented and passionate people through our shared interests and fandom, and you have all definitely influenced TheBlotSays.com in some form or fashion. And so, whether you’re a long time reader of TheBlotSays.com or some who just stumbled upon my site recently, thank you for coming along for the ride! Here’s to four more years of ramblings from The Blot…

NYCC '11 - Johnny Cupcakes Big Kid Viny Figure Colorways

Thanks to Midgar, the TheBlotSays.com’s newest on-site convention reporter, we now have a photo from New York Comic-Con 2011 of all six colorways of the Big Kid toy, Johnny Cupcakes’ mascot and first vinyl figure! There’s one OG painted colorway and five blanks (the NYCC Exclusive Glow-in-the-Dark, Black, Blank, Silver and Gold) being produced and each has its own limited edition run size.

From what I’m hearing out of New York, the NYCC Exclusive GID Big Kid is retailing for $100, while the OG painted Big Kid is $35 and the unpainted white is $30. If you look to the right side of the picture you’ll also get your very first glimpse of Johnny Cupcakes’ all new vinyl Cupcake & Crossbones scented toys, which is a 3D rendering of the company’s iconic logo. Each mini figure retails for $10. More news as it leaks from the con!

Disney Vinylmation Park Starz Series 1 - Final Reveals!

Disney has revealed the final four standard figures from its Vinylmation Park Starz Series 1, and this series just keeps getting better! Park Starz takes classic characters from Disney Theme Parks around the world and reinterprets them as unique collectible vinyl figures. First up is The Bride, who can be found in every version of The Haunted Mansion attraction. This figure takes its inspiration from all of the versions to bring the iconic nature of The Bride to life (or is it death?). Next up is a parrot from Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland, an audio-animatronic theater show which only just recently reopened.

Last but not least comes a figure (or two) from The Blot’s favorite Disney ride, It’s a Small World! The two figures above will actually be sold together in the same tin making the goat figure a "bonus" if you will. They capture the distinctive Mary Blair style of the "It's a Small World" attraction perfectly, don't you think?

Created by Disney Design Group artists Thomas Scott and Casey Jones, Park Starz Series 1 includes 11 characters and one “mystery chaser” figure. Unlike previous Vinylmation Series, each of the 12 figures in Park Starz Series 1 will be completely different. Disney Vinylmation Park Starz Series 1 will go on sale at the D-Street locations in California and Florida on Friday, October 21 with both Thomas and Casey on hand at WDW D-Street for a very special signing! This is one event you won’t want to miss.

Pop! Holidays Series 1 Vinyl Figures by Funko

Funko’s pop culture extravaganza continues with its all new line of Pop! Holiday vinyl figures! To kick off this new line off, Funko has recreated 5 iconic characters from classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated movies as stylized 3.75” vinyl figures. From the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer television special comes Santa Claus, Rudolph and everyone’s favorite monster, Bumble! Even better still, from The Year Without a Santa Claus there’s the Snow Miser and the Heat Miser. Is this a walk down memory lane or what!?!

Each Pop! Holiday Series 1 vinyl figure stands 3.75” tall, has a rotating head and comes in a displayable window box. While these figures won’t hit store shelves until December, you can preorder them now at EntertainmentEarth.com here for $9.99 each.

NYCC 2011 Exclusive Ugly Unicorn Online Release by Rampage Toys

For those of us not fortunate enough to make it to New York Comic-Con 2011 this week, Jon Malmstedt of Rampage Toys is doing a very special online Ugly Unicorn NYCC inspired release tonight! There will be a small run of 5 “Jetlagged” Ugly Unicorns on red vinyl featuring sleepy eyes, color change metallic purple and yellow spray, as well as a few 1-off custom Ugly Unicorn and two original Ugly Unicorn Gouache paintings. As Jon explained it, “I thought it seemed like fun to have a little NYCC cheer coming out of Japan, and since I only made 5 sleepy eyed guys for Lulubell's booth, 5 more seemed appropriate.”

Rampage Toys’ New York Comic-Con 2011 exclusive online releases go on sale tonight, Thursday, October 13th, at 8/7c (which just so happens to be 9am on October 14th where Jon is in Japan) at the Rampage Toys online store.

Comic Book Review: Robot 13 from Blacklist Studios

The Blot’s actually had this review ready to go for a while now, but I’ve been holding it back for a very special reason (more on that tomorrow). I was recently given the great opportunity to read and review the first three issues of Robot 13: Colossus! from Blacklist Studios and what a treat! As the book’s catchphrase says, it’s a robot’s odyssey to find himself. It tells the story of a heroic robot who awoke from the ocean floor and looks for answers to who he really is.

Written by Thomas Hall with art by Daniel Bradford, Robot 13 is an exciting tale set in 1939 featuring a robot, a giant sea creature, a Cyclops and many more hideous monsters, each one more destructive than the last. I know I said this in my King review, but Hall and Bradford’s comic books really remind me of Mike Mignola’s early work, which is about as high of praise as I can give. They both do excellent jobs telling a story without the use of unnecessary text, and I’m blown away by Bradford’s ability to express Robot 13’s emotions considering he doesn’t have a face! With just a slight tilt of his levitating skull or an increase in shadowing you can really get inside the mind of this stoic hero.

Robot 13: Colossus! is currently on issue number 3, so it’s definitely not too late to catch up on R13’s many adventures to find out who he is and where he came from. Head over to MyComicShop.com today to pick up all three issues! Or, you could check back with TheBlotSays.com tomorrow for a very special giveaway (hint, hint).

NYCC 2011 Exclusive Royal Swirl Mongolion by L’amour Supreme

Let’s be honest, it’s not New York Comic-Con without a release from NYC’s own L’amour Supreme! That’s why late last night Super7 announced a very special surprise release at NYCC 2011, the Royal Swirl Mongolion! Spotted in the wild city lights of New York City, little is known about the shadowy Mongolion's existence. It is more rumor and legend than actual fact. Lamour Supreme's Royal Swirl is cast in marbled baby blue and yellow vinyl with red and white spray details.

Normally The Blot’s a huge fan of marbled vinyl, but there’s something about this color combination that doesn’t work for me. I think it’s because the yellow looks dirty, which may be a result of its having been mixed with the baby blue. If the yellow had been a bright yellow resulting in a sweet UCLA style colorway this would have been a must buy for The Blot. As it is, I do really love how its bright red eyes and tongue stand out against the baby blue and yellow swirled vinyl.

The New York Comic-Con 2011 Exclusive Royal Swirl Mongolion by L’amour Supreme goes on sale today at the Super7 NYCC booth #688 for $65 each.

Barneyism of the Week - The Ewok Line

In 1983 George Lucas introduced the world to the Ewoks,
a race of creatures indigenous to the second moon of Endor.

Now, the Ewoks have a rich back-story that the movie didn’t really go into.

“Barney, why don’t you just skip to the part about you and Norah?” - Ted

Fine…ah, yes…

Ultimately Ewoks split Star Wars fandom into two camps:
Those born before and those born after May 25th, 1973.

The Ewok Line!

Anyone born on this side of the Ewok Line
was at least 10 years old when Jedi came out,
and thus too old for something so cloying and cute.

Anyone born on this side loved the Ewoks because…why?
They reminded you of...?

“Our teddies? - Gina

They reminded you of your teddies, thank you Gina.

And so, by the immutable laws of the Ewok Line
my “29” year old “girl” friend who hates Ewoks
must, in fact, be no younger than 37.

- Barney Stinson

“Field Trip”

How I Met Your Mother